Picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like



, w. E. SWIFT. PICKER MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

, APPLlCATlON FIL ED AUG.12,192I. v 1,438,620, Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1 o I O m N I 13 3 I 24 P 19 a3 v J 10 22 M1; 2 i Q29 iii-7%:

w. E. SWIFT. PICKER MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, I92I. 1,488,620.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIII! I II W, I 5' IF p I mg: III in Patented Dec.12,19 22Q W. E. SWIFT. v PICKER MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES AND THE LIKE APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12. 1921.

l,4:38,620. v Patented Dec. 12,1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

WILLARD E. swrrr, or woaonsrfifiiresshhiifusndrs, nssrenoit TQ nnrrnn s'rarns pliant nivvnnorn corrrrnnv, or srnrnerrnnn, MASSACHUSETTS, A oonroiaii'rron or MAINE.

BECKER MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPE MACHINES AND THE LIKE. 4

Application filed August 12, 1921. Serial 110. 491,762.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, YVILLARD E. gVVIFT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcestenin the county of Wbrcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have in vented a new and useful Improvement in Picker Mechanism for Envelope Machines and the like, of which the following, together with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My presentinvention relates to gumining or picker devices used in envelope machines and the like for applying adhesive to successive uppermost blanks of a stack, and for removing said blanks, one by one, from said stack for presentation to the usual forwarding devices of the machine. i

The invention 'relates especially to the action of the picker or guinnier on that portion of the blank which eventually becomes the seal flap of theen-velope; the object of the invention being to combine with the usual vertical movement of the seal flap gumrnerahorizontal or wiping movement, so i.

as to spread the adhesive thinly and evenly along the edge of the seal flap, thereby preventing the excessive deposit of moistadhe sive and the consequent disadvantages of buckling and. slow drying of the seal flap. The invention resides in the novel combination and arrangement of instrum'entalities hereinafter described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front view, partly in section, showing the invention applied at the gumining station of the ordinary envelope machine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of said parts, showing their relation to .astackof blanks in the machine.

Figs. 1 and 5 are fragmentary detail sectional views, in front and side elevation respeotively, of the seal flap gumining device, showing the parts in the positions which they occupy in the first part of theireycle of operations.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but show- I ing a change in the position of the parts as the picker or gummer descends.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar to Figslland 5, with the parts in thepositions occupied when the seal flap gummer contacts with the stack of blanks,

F 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the initial contact of the seal flap'guinmer with the uppermost blank of the stack, correspondingto the position of the mechanism shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 8, showing thelinal position of the seal flap gunnner with relation to the stack. I i

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 9, corresponding to the position ofthe parts shown in F 10. i i y Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the usual upper frame of an envelope machine of the reciprocating type is indicated at 1 said frame providing a bearing 2 for thevertical reciprocating picker rod 3. The latter has secured to its lower end, in any suitable man nor, a bar l,extending.horizontally and supporting, in the usual way, the. rigid back flap or end flap gumming dies 5, 5. The bar 1 also provides support, in the manner hereinafter described, for a seal flap gumming die 6, and these several gumming dies are adapted to be supplied in the usual manner with inoistadhesive by thetraversing move ments of gum transferring rollers 7 and 8, the latter having supports 9, 9, which travel back and forth on rods 10, 10 on the fixed framework. 4 g

The gunnning die 6 is suspended by a pair of rods 11,11 from a head 12, the latter adapted to slide in and out on the bar 4.- which, for this purpose,is constructed with lateral tongues .13, 18 that enter undercut grooves of said head, as shown in Fig. 1. On opposite sides of the guideway thus formed, the head 12 carries rearwardly projecting bolts or rods 14, 14, the heads 15 of. which cooperate with a yoke 16, carried by wardly or forwardly; this tendency is normally resisted by the engagement of rolls 18, 18, carried by headlfZ, with stationary :overhanging members 19, 19, the inner edges of which, engaged by the rollers 18., are in ings 21,

the form of cam surfaces 20, 20, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The rods 11, 11 support the seal flap gumming die 6, projecting loosely through bush- 21 provided by the head 12, as shown clearly 1n Figs. 4 and 7. On the upper ends of'said rods are cap nuts 22, 22 that cooperate with nuts 23,23 in holding said rods rigid with a connecting member or yoke 24:, the, latter having a central bearing portion 25 in which is disposed, head downward, a

bolt 26; Said bolt passes through and has its tion of the parts shown in Figs. 3, l and 5,

the head 12 is positively locked in. its rear- 1 most position, to retain the gumming die 6 in overlying relation to the seal flap of the blank, as shown in Fig. 9.

On the outer end of bard is disposed a cam member 32 adapted to cooperate, in the manner. hereinafter described, w1th the head of I bolt 26, so as to elevate said bolt and thereby,

through yoke 24 and connected rods 11, 11, to relievethe pressure of the gumming die 6 on the stack of blanks. Such pressure is exerted, during the major portion of the gummingand wiping operations by springs 33, 33 that surround the reduced portions of the rods 11, .11 within the bushings 21, 21, said springs acting against shoulders 34L of said rods to force the die 6 to the limit of its downward movement, as shown in Figs. 4; and 5. The operation of the mechanism as above described is as follows Starting with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. .3, with the dies 5, 5 and 6 at their extreme distances away from the stack of blanks 35, it will be clear that the initial downward movement of the picker rod 3 is without effect upon the position of the parts until the die 6 strikes the stack of blanks. This is because of the fact that atthe commencement of the movement the rolls 18 bear against the vertical inner surfaces of overhanging'members 19, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5, and also because of the fact that as the downward movement continues, bringing the rolls 18 opposite the inclined cam surfaces 20 of members'19, the latch member 28,

as shown most clearly in Fig. 6, retains the head 12in its normal retracted position,-

holding the rolls 18 out of contact with the cam surfaces 20. i

The gumming die 6 makes Contact with the stack of blanks slightly in advance of the 'gumming dies The downward movement of. the picker necessary to'bring the dies 5, 5 into contact therewith causes a slight upward movement of the gumming die 6 against the force of springs 33, 33, as shown most clearly by a comparison of Figs 4: and

7 ,this causes the rods 11, 11 to lift the yoke 24, and thereby, through the bolt 26, to raise the latch 28 so as to release the head12, as shown in Fig. 8, at an instant when the dies 5, 5 are exerting their maximum pressure on the stack of blanks.

The. release of the latch 28 makes the springs 17 17 effective to force the head 12 outwardly, along the guideway afforded by the pressure of the die 6 'as it in contact with said die at the end of the wiping movement, as indicated at 36, Fig. 11, would not suflice to withstand the pressure normally exerted by thesprings 33. It is to be understood, of course, that during this wiping operation, the dies 5, 5 serve'to clamp the uppermost blank of the stack against sidewise movement, so that wiping is accomplished without disturbing the correct position of said uppermost blank. Thereafter, the entire picker structure is moved upwardly, carrying with it, by adhesion to the dies 5, 5 and 6, the topmost blank,

which is stripped therefrom and conveyed to the folding station by the usual stripping plate and reciprocatingcarriage, not here shown, since these devices form no part of the presentinvention. The upward movement of the picker structure brings the rolls 18 into contact with the stationary cam surfaces 20, andas said upward movement is continued, the head 12 is gradually retracted, and simultaneously, the springs 33 are al-. lowed to expand as the head of bolt 26 moves off of cam member 32. Y This'releases the latch member so that when full retraction of the head 12 is effected, the tooth 30 is again disposed against the shoulder 31, so'that the parts are again in the position shown in Figs. 3, a and 5, ready to repeat the above described operation.

I claim,

1. In an envelope machine, a picker mech anism comprising a plurality of flap gumming dies adapted for movement in unison towardthe blanks, one of said dies making contact with the blanks in advance of the others.

2. In an envelopemachine, a picker mechanism comprising a plurality 'of flap gum ining dies, one of said dies adapted to yield upon contact with the blanks, and means responsive to the yielding of said die for procuring its traverse over the surface gummed thereby.

3. In an envelope machine, a picker mech anism comprising a plurality of flap gumming dies, one of said dies adapted to yield upon contact with the blanks, and means responsive to the yielding of said die for procuring its traverse over the surface gummed thereby While the blank is held stationary by the other dies.

4. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like, comprising yielding and unyielding dies, the former adapted to move laterally While the blank is held stationary by the latter, and means for locking said yieldable dies against lateral movement.

5. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like, comprising a set of dies adapted for movement as a unitary structure into contact With the top blank of a stack, means responsive to said contact for procuring a Wiping movement of one of said dies, and means responsive to the elevation of said picker mechanism for returning said Wiping die to normal position.

6. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like, comprising a plurality of dies, one adapted for Wiping movement when in contact With a blank, a latch for retaining said Wiping die in its normal retracted position, and means for releasing said latch by the pressure of said die onsaid blank.

7. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like, comprising a plurality of dies, one adapted for Wiping movement when in contact with a blank, a latch for retainingsaid Wiping die in its normal re tracted position, means for releasing said latch by the pressure of said die on said blank, and means operable by release of said latch for procuring the Wiping movement of said die.

8. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and'the like, comprising a plurality of dies, one adapted for Wiping movement when in contact with a blank, a latch for re-n taining said Wiping die in its normal retracted position, means for releasing said latch by the pressure of said die on said blank, means operable by release of said latch for procuring the Wiping movement of said die, and means responsive to said Wip ing movement for relieving the pressure of said die on said blank.

9. A picker mechanism for envelope machines and the like, comprising rigid'dies and a spring pressed die, a common support for all of said dies, by which they are moved into contact With a stack of blanks,means responsive to the yielding of said springpressed die for procuring its traverse over the surface gummed thereby, means respon- 'sive to said traverse for relieving the spring pressure on said die, and means responsive to the elevation of said picker mechanism for restoring said spring pressure and for returning said die to normal retracted position.

Dated this eighth day of August, 1921.

WILLARD E. sWiFr.

Witnesses FANNIE WALKER, PENELOPE CoMBnnAoE. 

